Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a duplex fiber optic connector assembly 1, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,385, includes a housing 11, first and second fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B) inserted into the housing 11 and attached to optical fibers (19A, 19B) issuing from a fiber optic cable 19, a crimp band 18 for securing the fiber optic cable 19 to the housing 11, a trigger mechanism 13 removably engaged to the housing 11 and latch mechanisms on the first and second optical fiber connector assemblies (12A, 12B), and a boot 14 fitted over a portion of the fiber optic cable 19 and the crimp band 18 and abutting against the housing 11. The housing 11 includes two housing components 111 mated to each other, and two parallel apertures 112 cooperatively defined by the mated housing components 111 and respectively receiving and retaining portions of the first and second connector assemblies (12A, 12B) in such a manner as to allow rotation for polarity reversal. The fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B) are independently rotatable along their respective axes for polarity reversal within the housing 11. Fiber optic cable 19 enters the housing components 111 and its optical fibers (19A, 19B) are respectively attached to each fiber optic connector assembly (12A, 12B).
With reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, to reverse the position of the fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B), the boot 14 is rotated about 45 degrees from a normally assembled position, and the trigger mechanism 13 is slidably removed from the housing 11. Next, the fiber optic connector assembly (12B) is rotated (see FIG. 3), and is continuously rotated for about 180 degrees until it is in the position, as shown in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the fiber optic connector assembly (12A) is also rotated, but in the opposite direction of the fiber optic connector assembly (12B), for about 180 degrees until it is in the position, as shown in FIG. 4. Consequently, both of the fiber optic connector assemblies (12a, 12B) are about 180 degrees from their initial position. Then, the trigger mechanism 13 is reinstalled, but on the other side of the housing 11. FIG. 4 shows the newly installed trigger mechanism 13 on the assembly after polarity reversal, but still in its original view for clarity, and prior to boot 14 rotation. The entire assembly is rotated about 180 degrees, as shown in FIG. 5, to reveal the polarity reversal for the duplex fiber optic cable assembly 1. In other words, the positions of the fiber optic connector assemblies (12a, 12B) are reversed from where they were in FIG. 2.
During the polarity reversal operation, the fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B) are rotated between housing halves 111 of the housing 11. However, if there is no way to directly view the fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B), the optical fibers (19A, 19B) may be twisted relative to the fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B) during repeated rotation thereof, so that the positioning relationship thereof is likely to loosen. As a result, during rotation of the fiber optic connector assemblies (12A, 12B), it is likely that the optical fibers (19A, 19B) cannot be rotated, thereby affecting the polarity reversal operation.
Moreover, the LC (Lucent/Local connector) type fiber optic connector usually has 5.25 mm and 6.25 mm standards. If the standard of the fiber optic connector assembly 1 can be directly changed according to the requirement without changing the product to another standard, the efficiency thereof may be enhanced.